District Policy on Transgender Students Under Scrutiny

The American Civil Liberties Union is objecting to a Michigan school district's restroom policy for transgender students.

The Grand Rapids Press reports that transgender students in the Jenison district can use a gender-neutral restroom, staff restrooms or restrooms that match their gender at birth.

The newspaper says Jenison transgender students can't use restrooms that match their new identity. Superintendent Tom TenBrink says the Ottawa County district is not discriminating against transgender students and treats all students with "sensitivity and dignity."

But the ACLU of Michigan has written a letter in protest. The group says the policy stigmatizes transgender students.

Attorney Miriam Aukerman says a transgender boy should be able to use a restroom for boys. She says the same should apply to transgender girls.

In 2015, transgender people were more visible ever in American culture. Women like Laverne Cox, Janet Mock, and Caitlyn Jenner became showed up on television screens and red carpets. But 2015 was also the year with the highest number of fatal hate crimes against transgender people on record. We talk to Detroit Native and executive director of the Trans Women of Color Collective about what has and hasn’t changed in the fight for transgender rights.

A group of transgender individuals is suing Michigan Secretary of State Ruth Johnson over how the state handles changing someone’s sex on a driver’s license or state ID. We talk to plaintiff Tina Seitz and Jay Kaplan, the staff attorney for ACLU Michigan’s LGBT Project.